Auto-prioritization of device traffic across local network

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for prioritizing network traffic. In one aspect, a method includes collecting, for local networks, traffic data representing communication traffic over the local network for a period of time; determining, for each of the network devices included in the networks, a device type of the network device and at least one device priority value for the network device; training a device prioritization model, using the traffic data and the device priority values of the devices, receiving, by the device prioritization model, for a local network, a list of network devices that are included in the local network; and generating, by the device prioritization model, a prioritization scheme for the local network that prioritizes device traffic among the network devices based on the device types and device priority values of the network devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of, and claims priorityto, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/392,576, titled“AUTO-PRIORITIZATION OF DEVICE TRAFFIC ACROSS LOCAL NETWORK,” filed onDec. 28, 2016. The disclosure of the foregoing application isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) refers to internetworked physical devicesthat are embedded with electronics, software, and other systemcomponents that enable the objects to collect, exchange and processdata. Such devices include not only computers, but phones, appliances(refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.), security monitoring equipment,health monitoring equipment, gaming devices, and any other device forwhich interconnectivity may be utilized. As more appliance and homedevices of the IoT are added to residential and commercial properties,bandwidth for device traffic for these devices becomes competitive. Thismay result in delays, dropped packets, and device processing errors.

Some network linking devices, such as routers or gateways, allow usersto prioritize traffic among devices. For example, device addresses, suchas MAC addresses or even IP addresses, can be selected and trafficpriorities for those devices. However, many users do not know how tomanage network liking devices to implement such manual prioritizationschemes. Moreover, those users that can prioritize device traffic onlocal networks within a residence or a building must, by much trial anderror, implement multiple different prioritization schemes to determinewhich one provides an optimized quality of service (QoS) for particulardevices without adversely impacting the QoS of other devices. Additionsof devices to a network may require re-prioritization of traffic, which,in turn, leads to periods of inefficient network bandwidth utilization.

SUMMARY

This specification describes technologies relating to auto-prioritizingdevices in local networks.

In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described inthis specification can be embodied in methods that include the actionsof collecting, for each of a plurality of local networks, each localnetwork being a network that communicates with other networks through anetwork linking device and including a respective plurality of networkdevices that communicate through the network linking device, trafficdata representing communication traffic over the local network for aperiod of time; determining, for each of the network devices included inthe plurality of networks, a device type of the network device and atleast one device priority value for the network device based on thedevice type, each device priority value being a measure of a priority ofdevice traffic for the network device relative to other device trafficof other network devices; and training a device prioritization model,using the traffic data and the device priority values of the devices,for prioritizing network traffic for each network device in a localnetwork. The method may optionally include receiving, by the deviceprioritization model, for a local network, a list of network devicesthat are included in the local network; and generating, by the deviceprioritization model, a prioritization scheme for the local network thatprioritizes device traffic among the network devices based on the devicetypes and device priority values of the network devices. Otherembodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, andcomputer programs, configured to perform the actions of the methods,encoded on computer storage devices.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be implemented so as to realize one or more of thefollowing advantages. A device prioritization model can be trainedemploying machine learning to contextually understand when user devicestend to be most used in relation to a set of user devices in a localnetwork. This may yield a more efficient use of network bandwidth,reducing the outlay requirements for network resources. Additionally,the model can adjust the prioritization of network traffic for differenttime periods (e.g., days of the week, times of the day, and holidayevents, etc.). The use of the model to generate a prioritization schemebased on an input list of devices obviates the need for a rule-basedapproach that would require pre-defined sets of devices and require alarge database of rules for multiple different types of devicecombinations. Moreover, the use of the model allows for prioritizationschemes that are emergent and that would otherwise not be discovered byusers. Additionally, by prioritization of devices, congestion that mayoccur when devices tend to synchronize overhead traffic is reduced, asthe devices, based on the prioritization scheme, will end up reportingat different times. This results in a better utilization of availablebandwidth.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of thesubject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings,and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example environment in which a deviceprioritization model is trained.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example training process for a deviceprioritization model using traffic data from sets of network-connecteddevices on respective local networks.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example process for training aprioritization model.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example process for applying aprioritization scheme to a local network.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example computer system.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

A system generates a machine-learned model that auto-prioritizes devicesin local networks. As used in this specification, a local network is anetwork that communicates with other networks through a network linkingdevice and includes a respective set of network devices that communicatethrough the network linking device. The model is trained using observednetwork traffic and device prioritizations. Once trained, the model canbe used to automatically prioritize network devices in a particularlocal network.

To train the model, the system collects, for multiple different localnetworks, traffic data that represents communication traffic over thelocal network for a period of time. The system then determines, for eachof the network devices included in the local networks, a device type ofthe network device and a device priority value for the network devicebased on the device type. The device priority value is a measure of apriority of device traffic for the network device relative to otherdevice traffic of other network devices based on the device type. Usingthe traffic data and the device priority values of the devices, thesystem then trains a prioritization model. Once the model is trained, itmay receive a list of devices for a local network, and, based on thelist, a prioritization scheme for the local network that prioritizesdevice traffic among the network devices based on the device types anddevice priority values of the network devices. In some implementations,the prioritization scheme may prioritize traffic of device based on thedevice priority value. In other implementations, the model may generatea traffic priority value for a particular device, where each trafficpriority value is a measure of priority of the device's device trafficof a particular type. For example, a “System OK” reporting message for amedical device may have a traffic priority value that is less than atraffic priority value for a message from the medical device that isreporting the detection of a medical event.

In operation, the model receives a list of network devices that areincluded in a local network and provides the list of devices to thedevice prioritization model. The device prioritization model thengenerates a prioritization scheme for the local network that prioritizesdevice traffic among the network devices based on the list of networkdevices and the device priority values. The prioritization scheme, inthe implementations that generate traffic priority values, generates,for each device in the list of devices, one or more traffic priorityvalues. The prioritization scheme can then be applied to the networkdevices included in the local network.

These features and other features will be described in more detailbelow.

Example Operating Environment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example environment 100 in which adevice prioritization model is trained. The environment includes acomputer network 102, such as the Internet. The example environment mayinclude many different local networks 104 (e.g., 104-1, 104-2 . . .104-N) in communication with the network 102 through respective routersor gateways, which are generally referred to as network linking devices110 (e.g., 110-1, 110-2, 110-N). Each local network has a collection ofnetwork-connected devices 116 in communication with their respectivelocal networks 104-1, 104-2 . . . 104-N, (e.g., 116-11 and 116-12 forlocal network 104-1, and so on).

Examples of local networks 104 include home networks, personal areanetworks, business or school-based networks, Wi-Fi-enabled networks,Bluetooth-enabled networks, or combination thereof. Each local network104 may use a variety of connectivity protocols (e.g., bus technology,ring technology, star technology, mesh technology). Each local networkincludes a plurality of network-connected devices 116. In someimplementations, the collection of network-connected devices incommunication with each local network communicate with the network 102through a single network linking device. For example, anetwork-connected device 116-13 in a local network 104-1 can onlycommunicate with the network 102 through the network linking device110-1. Additionally, the collection of network-connected devices incommunication with each local network may have a specific amount oftotal bandwidth for communication at a given time. Anotherimplementation may include a set of sub-networks in communication with alocal network, each through a respective network linking device.

A network-connected device 116 is an electronic device capable ofrequesting and receiving data over the local network 104 and the network102. Example network-connected devices 116 include personal computers,mobile communication devices, entertainment centers (e.g., gamingsystems), Internet-of-Things (IoT) network-connected devices such asappliances (e.g., refrigerators, washing machines, coffee makers),medical devices (e.g., pacemakers, glucose monitors),building-monitoring devices (e.g., thermostats, security systems,cameras, smoke detectors), and other devices that can send and receivedata over a local network 104 and the network 102.

Each network-connected device 116 in a local network generates datatraffic for its communications. The data traffic can include requests,heartbeat packets, responses to requests, streaming data, and the like,depending on the device being used. For example, a home monitoringdevice with a camera and microphone may provide audio and video data.Conversely, a thermostat may generate temperature and humidity reportingdata. Thus, depending on the network device type, the amount andfrequency of data that is generated and transmitted over data trafficfor each device may vary significantly.

The amount of data traffic for a particular device can depend on thesend/receive activity of the particular device. Depending on the totalbandwidth available for a local network 104, the devices 116 may, attimes, be competing for network bandwidth. Moreover, the percentage oftotal bandwidth used by a particular device relative to the otherdevices in the local network will vary over time or vary according to atime-dependent schedule. For example, a gaming device may have verylittle use during the workday in a home network, but during the eveningsand on weekends, the gaming device may generate a relatively largeamount of network traffic for the local network 104.

Because of network traffic constraints, there are times when trafficfrom two or more competing devices should be handled according to aprioritization scheme. For example, data traffic for security devicesand medical monitoring in a local network should have priority over agaming device in the same local network. Moreover, the prioritization ofdata traffic for each device may shift during the course of a day, weekor another time period. For example, prioritizing network traffic for acredit card reader in a home business local network during businessweekday business hours. Many users, however, do not know how toprioritize network traffic, and even if they did, they may not want todevelop multiple schemes that can be applied at different times.Moreover, for a given set of a network devices, an optimumprioritization scheme may not be readily apparent; a user may have totry multiple different priority schemes before the handling of networktraffic over a particular network 104 is improved. An automated networktraffic prioritization system 120 addresses the technical problem ofdeveloping a prioritization scheme for network devices using machinelearning technique.

Automated Network Traffic Prioritization System

The automated network traffic prioritization system 120 includes atraffic data collector 122 and a model generator 124 to train the model130. The system 120, for multiple different local networks, collectstraffic data 126 that represents communication traffic fornetwork-connected devices 116. In some implementations, the system 120is hosted on one or more computers in communication with the network102. The data collected by the traffic data collector 122 is used by themodel generator 124 to train the model 130.

The traffic data collector 122 collects data traffic and device typesfor each network-connected device in local networks 104. Each localnetwork may be set up as a test network for data collection.Alternatively, each local network may be an actual local network at aparticular location. In the case of the latter, users of each localnetwork 104 may be requested to “opt in” so that their data may becollected by the traffic data collector 122. Each local network 104-1,104-2, . . . 104-N is connected to the network 102 through respectivenetwork linking devices 110-1, 110-2, . . . 110-N. The traffic datacollector 122 receives traffic data information from each of theplurality of network-connected devices 116 and device types for each ofthe network connected devices.

Traffic can also be aggregated by device type and independent of thelocal networks in which a device is deployed. This allows for thedetermination of device traffic behavior that is independent of thenetwork topology of the particular network in which a device isdeployed. Such signals can also be used as inputs for training a deviceprioritization model.

The traffic data collected by traffic data collector 122 can alsoinclude data that describes the service level of each local network 104,such as bandwidth usage, bandwidth capability, latency, turn-aroundwindow (the maximum time for a response to a message), number orfrequency of errors in communication of data, and the like. In someimplementations, the data collected by the traffic data collector 122can span a period of time that includes all dayparts and multiple days,weeks, and even months.

For each network connected device 116, the system may also collect acorresponding device type. Examples of device types include healthmonitoring devices, security devices, entertainment devices, businessoperations devices, and the like. For example, a particular device maybe a heart monitoring device, and thus may be of a device type of“health monitoring.” Another device may be a coffee maker, and thus maybe of a device type of “kitchen appliance,” and so on.

A device type may be assigned to a device in a variety of ways. Forexample, a manufacturer of the device may assign a device type to thedevice, and the device may report its device type in response to aquery. In situations where the device type is not assigned, the system120 may determine the device type based on the traffic from the device,from traffic destinations, and so on. For example, a device that sendstraffic to and receives traffic from a video service may be determinedto be a video presentation device, while a device that sends data to andreceives data from a health monitoring service may be determined to be ahealth monitoring device. The system 120 may, for example, have accessto a mapping of network address and device types. Additionally, a userof the network-connected device may manually designate a device type tothe device.

Using the data collected by the data traffic collector 122, the modelgenerator 124 trains the device prioritization model 130. The modelgenerator 124 may implement any appropriate machine learning process totrain a model that receives, as input, a list of devices that areconnected to a local network 104 and that generates, as output, one ormore device prioritization schemes for the devices. Each deviceprioritization scheme optimizes device priority for traffic for aparticular time period.

Model Training

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example training process for a deviceprioritization model 130 using traffic data from sets ofnetwork-connected devices on respective local networks. For each deviceDx, corresponding device traffic data DTx is observed and collected bythe traffic data collector 122. The device prioritization model 130 istrained using data collected by the traffic data collector 122.

Training of the device prioritization model 130 may incorporate one ormore features 206 for producing a prioritization scheme function (PS)208. Examples of features in the device prioritization model may includedata traffic routines 206-1, device types for a set of connected devices206-2, quality of service 206-3, available network bandwidth 206-4, andthe like. This example list is not exhaustive, and any appropriatetraffic prioritization feature may be used.

Data traffic routines 206-1 describe the traffic routines of each deviceon a network. Data traffic routines 206-1 may be determined in severalways. One way is by devices reporting their presence and type and usingthe reported device type to access data describing known trafficpatterns for devices. For example, data traffic patterns for aparticular thermostat may have already been provided to the traffic datacollector 122. Thus, when the particular thermostat announces itselfwithin a network, the traffic data collector 122 need only access thedescribed data traffic routines 206-1.

Data traffic routines 206-1 may also be learned through observation. Forexample, some devices may send periodic heart beat signals, while otherdevices many only send data when queried. There periodicity of trafficfor each device and the type of traffic for each device may be stored inthe traffic routine data 206-1. Additionally, data traffic routines206-1 may include data describing the periods of peak bandwidth usagefor each device of a device type for a local network. For example, adata traffic routine for a credit card reader in a home business wouldinclude information about the hours and days of the week in which itproduced highest data traffic, e.g., during the business hours of aworkday, as well as information of when it produced minimal datatraffic, e.g., during evening and weekend hours.

Another feature that may be used to train the device prioritizationmodel 130 are the devices and device types for each set ofnetwork-connected devices 206-2. Device types may designate theimportance of the data traffic for a particular network-connecteddevice, or designate the functionality of the device. For example, adevice type for a medical monitoring device (e.g., pacemaker) wouldidentify the data traffic for the medical monitoring device as highimportance in the model relative to a device type of a kitchenappliance. Furthermore, the different functions performed by thepacemaker, for example a “system working” handshake alert or a“emergency” device failure alert could further distinguish theimportance of the device.

Training the device prioritization model 130 may also utilize quality ofservice measures 206-3 for each network device in a local network as atraining feature. A quality of service measure may include, for example,allowable frequency of packet error or dropped packets, latency, jitter,data transfer speeds, and the like. The quality of service measure for anetwork device may apply for the network device for a set period oftime. For example, a high quality of service measure could be applied toa gaming system during evenings and weekends when latency and jitterwould interfere with the performance of the system.

Additionally, the device prioritization model 130 may be trained basedon available bandwidth 206-4 for a local network. For networks withvariability in bandwidth, such as those that slow down or have bandwidthcaps at peak usage hours, the model may further be trained toincorporate this feature.

Other features 206-N may also be used to train the model. For example,the sensitivity of a device in response to a traffic error, e.g., adropped packet or high traffic latency, may be a feature that is used intraining a model. To illustrate, a first device may be observed to oftencrash when traffic for the device is dropped; conversely, a seconddevice may be quite robust to traffic errors and never crashes inresponse to traffic errors. Accordingly, the model that is trained maytend to prioritize the first device over the second device (absent otherfactors) so as to reduce the likelihood that the prioritization schemeaffects traffic to the point that the first device experiences systemerrors.

Another feature is user satisfaction. Once prioritization schemes aredeployed, the system may monitor for changes to the prioritizationsschemes by the users, and/or receive user feedback regarding theprioritization schemes. In the case of the former, common changes toparticular schemes may be interpreted as negative feedback, and thechanges to the schemes can be used to re-train the model periodically.In the case of the latter, user feedback can be used to validateprioritization schemes or be interpreted as negative feedback, dependingon the feedback.

Each device with an assigned device type also has at least one devicepriority value. Each device priority value designates an importance ofthe device traffic relative to traffic from other devices connected to alocal network. In some implementations, default device priority valuescan be assigned by the device manufacturer based on the device type ofthe device. For a device in a local network, the device priority valueassigned to the device may be used as a priority value for determiningtraffic prioritization for the device. For example, a manufacturer of aheart monitoring device may assign a device priority value to the heartmonitoring device such that traffic from the heart monitoring device ina local network is high priority relative to the traffic from otherdevices in the local network.

Device priority values may also be defined by the system 120 instead ofthe manufacturer. For example, the system 120 may have a mapping ofdevice types to device priority values. Other ways of determining devicepriority values may also be used.

The model generator 124, in some implementations, may be trained togenerate a prioritization scheme based the device priority value andprioritize all traffic for a device, regardless of type, the same. Forexample, a response packet to a ping from health monitoring device maythe same priority as a reporting message from the health monitoringdevice that reports a medical event.

In other implementations, the model 130 may be trained to provide a moregranular prioritization for device traffic based on a type of traffic.The granular prioritization is realized by use of different trafficpriority values for a device. The traffic priority value assigned to aparticular traffic item for a device may depend on the function to whichthe traffic item relates. For example, for a network-connected pacemakerdevice in a local network, the pacemaker device may have multipletraffic priority values for traffic, depending on the type of functionto which the traffic relates. Traffic for a normal status update checksignaling “device working” may have a traffic priority value of 3 (on ascale of 10), indicating a relatively low priority for the particulartraffic data for the status update check, whereas traffic an alarmstatus update signaling “device malfunctioning” may have a trafficpriority value of 10 out of 10, indicating high priority for theparticular traffic data for the alarm status.

The device prioritization model 130 may, in some implementations,includes weights for the traffic based on each device type and eachrespective device priority value. Moreover, the model may be trained forone or more prioritization scheme objectives, and the weights may differfor each objective.

A trained device prioritization model 130 yields a prioritization schemefunction (PS) 208. In general, the leaned function is of the form:PS=F[D1, D2, . . . DN]

Where:

D1, D2, . . . DN are a set of devices input to the function;

F[D1, D2, . . . DN] is a learned function of the model 130; and

PS is the priority scheme (or set of priority schemes) for the set ofdevices D1, D2, . . . DN.

The device prioritization scheme function 208 of the model 130 receives,as input, a set of network connected devices 204 in a local network. Theoutput of the device prioritization scheme function includes at leastone prioritization scheme 210. In implementations in which trafficpriority values are not used, the prioritization scheme prioritizestraffic on a device-by-device basis for a set of devices. Inimplementations in which traffic priority values are used, however, theprioritization scheme includes at least one traffic priority value P foreach of the network connected devices. Sets of traffic prioritizationvalues for devices Dx are indicated by corresponding sets {Px} in theexample prioritization scheme 210 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example process 300 for training aprioritization model 130. The process 300 is implemented in one or morecomputers.

A system collects traffic data from network connected devices in aplurality of local networks (302). As described above, local networks104-1, 104-2 . . . 104-N may each have unique configurations of networkconnected devices 116 in each local network communicating with thenetwork 102 through respective network linking devices (e.g., localnetwork routers) 110-1, 110-2 . . . 110-N. The traffic data 126 fromeach network connected device 116 is collected by a traffic datacollector 122 (302).

The system determines a device type for each network connected deviceand device priority values (304). The device types may be included inthe traffic packets, or may be derived by examining packet destinations,as described above. For example, a device type may be determined for acredit card reader based on the destination or source of the trafficdata for the credit card reader (e.g., commerce or banking websites,credit card companies). In another example, a heart rate monitor may besending updates to emergency medical personnel (e.g., 911) or to amedical facility (e.g., primary care provider).

The device priority values designate an importance of the device trafficrelative to traffic from other devices connected to a local network. Asnoted above, the device priority values can be assigned based on, inpart, the device type. For example, a home security system may have anassigned high device priority value for its traffic relative to thetraffic of other devices in the same local network.

The device prioritization model 130 is trained using traffic data anddevice priority values (306). The device prioritization model 130 mayinclude at least one of a set of features 206 describe above, such asdata traffic routines, quality of service, device types, and availablebandwidth. For example, a device prioritization model 130 made factor ina set of features including thresholds for quality of service for eachdevice type and bandwidth caps for each device type or device function.

Once trained, the device prioritization model 130 can receiveinformation about a set of traffic data for devices 204 in a localnetwork as input and output at least one prioritization scheme 210. Eachprioritization scheme 210 includes optimized device bandwidth allocationparameters, comprising at least one or more traffic priority valuesP_(N) for each network connected device D_(N). For example, aprioritization scheme applied to a local network with the followingdevices: a coffeemaker, a credit card reader, and a security system. Theprioritization scheme could include multiple traffic priority values foreach of the devices. For a security system having two types of alerts,one “normal operation” and one “emergency situation,” the traffic fromthe “normal operation” may be assigned a lower traffic priority value bythe prioritization scheme, while the “emergency situation” may beassigned a higher traffic priority value by the prioritization scheme.The lower and higher traffic priority values assigned to the securitysystem are relative to the traffic priority values of the other devices(e.g., the coffee maker and the credit card reader) which each have atleast one traffic priority value assigned by the prioritization scheme.

Each local network in communication with a set of network-connecteddevices has at least one prioritization scheme for the set ofnetwork-connected devices. In some implementations, multipleprioritizations schemes may be generated for a same set ofnetwork-connected devices. For example, in the above mentioned localnetwork including a coffeemaker, a credit card reader, and a securitysystem: a first prioritization scheme may be applied to a local network104 for weekdays during business hours, and a second, differentprioritization scheme may be applied to the same local network 104 forweekday evenings and weekends.

In some implementations, the device prioritization model may determinemultiple time-dependent prioritization sub-schemes for a set ofnetwork-connected devices in a local network, such that eachtime-dependent sub-scheme is optimized for a particular time period withcorresponding network device traffic data. For example, for a set ofnetwork-connected devices comprising a coffee-maker, a credit cardreader, and a gaming system, multiple time-dependent sub-schemes may beapplied. A first time-dependent sub-scheme may prioritize the creditcard reader over the other devices during business hours and onweekdays. A second time-dependent sub-scheme may prioritize the gamingsystem over the other devices during evenings and weekends.

In some implementations, the traffic priority value of anetwork-connected device for performing particular function may bevariable, such that the traffic priority value may change over time, ormay vary temporally on a particular schedule. The traffic priority valuemay vary for different prioritization schemes, between prioritizationsub-schemes, or within the same prioritization scheme as applied over atime period. For example, the traffic priority value for playing anonline game on a gaming system may be a high traffic priority value(e.g., 8 out of 10) during the evenings and weekends when it generates alarge quantity of data traffic and delays in stream would be detrimentalto its performance. However, the traffic priority value for playing theonline game on the gaming system may be a low traffic priority value(e.g., 2 out of 10) during normal business hours when it is not in useand generates low quantity of data traffic.

In addition to assigning traffic priority values to a set of networkdevices, a prioritization scheme may also include a quality of servicecap, wherein the network devices cannot exceed the quality of servicecap for a prioritization scheme. This could be implemented in multipleforms, including bandwidth allocation caps, or wherein minimum andmaximum bandwidth allocation parameters can be assigned to each networkconnected device. The quality of service cap may change based on theprioritization scheme applied to the local network and/or the set ofnetwork connected devices in the local network. For example, if a localnetwork includes a single network connected device, the prioritizationscheme may not assign a quality of service cap to the single device.

The prioritization schemes can furthermore be used to weight theimportance of the quality of service for each network connected device.For example, a quality of service cap set for a coffee maker in a localnetwork with multiple other network connected devices would prevent thetraffic priority value assigned to the coffee maker from exceeding acertain level, (e.g., 7 out of 10) relative to the other networkconnected devices in the local network. A quality of service capimplemented in this instance would furthermore prevent a low impact orlow importance device (the coffeemaker) that may have relatively highdata traffic needs from dominating a local network.

Additionally, in some implementations, particular devices may havebandwidth prioritization cap that applies a first traffic priority valuefor a first portion of bandwidth and a second traffic priority value fora second portion of bandwidth. For example, a video streaming device maybe allocated a first priority value for a first percentage of overallbandwidth, and, should the video streaming device exceed the bandwidth,its remaining traffic is allocated a second value that is lower than thefirst. Such a bandwidth prioritization cap scheme tends to preclude anyone device from becoming a “greedy” device should its traffic demandsspike for any particular reason.

Moreover, in additional implementations, the prioritization scheme maybe applied to an overall percentage of bandwidth, and a certain amountof bandwidth “headroom” may be preserved. For example, assume that atotal bandwidth is 100 Mbs. The bandwidth prioritization caps of alldevices may, in the aggregate, not exceed 95% of the total bandwidth,thus reserving 5 Mbs of “prioritized” traffic. This is useful for whenheadroom is needed, such as when new devices join the network and arenot subject to the prioritization scheme. Thus, rather than relegatingthe new device to a lowest priority, the prioritization scheme allowsfor at least some bandwidth that can be used by the new device outsideof a prioritization scheme.

Applying a Prioritization Scheme to a Local Network

FIG. 4 is a flow chart 400 of an example process for applying aprioritization scheme to a local network. For a trained deviceprioritization model 130, having a prioritization scheme function 208,the system receives information about a set of network connected devices204 in a local network (402). For example, a local network including aglucose monitor, a network-connected washing machine, and anentertainment system for streaming content. Each of the devices has adevice type (e.g., medical device, appliance, and media device,respectively) and each of the devices has a device priority values basedon the device type (e.g., medical device has a high device priorityvalue, appliance has a low priority value, and media device has a mediumdevice priority value).

The set of network connected devices each with an assigned device typeand at least one or more device priority values is inputted to thedevice prioritization scheme function (404). For example, the input listfor the above-mentioned example includes: medical device/high devicepriority value, appliance/low device priority value, and mediadevice/medium device priority value. The device priority values can berated on many different scaling systems including a rating of X out of Y(e.g., 3 out of 10), threshold levels (e.g., low/medium/high), or thelike.

From the input list, the model 130 outputs at least one prioritizationscheme for the set of network connected devices in the local network(406). A prioritization scheme output includes for each device in thelocal network at least one traffic priority value. For example, theglucose monitor may have a single device priority value of 10 out of 10based on the “medical device” classification. However, theprioritization scheme may assign two traffic priority values: a lowtraffic priority value 2 out of 10 for “routine check in” alerts fromthe glucose monitor and a high traffic priority value 10 out of 10 for“emergency” alerts from the glucose monitor.

The one or more prioritization schemes are applied to the set of networkconnected devices in the local network (408). As mentioned above,multiple prioritization schemes can be applied to a local network. Forexample, the different prioritization schemes may be optimized fordevice traffic at different time periods (e.g., a first for businesshours on weekdays and a second for evenings and weekends).

The device prioritization model may further comprise a time-delay forautomatically adjusting or updating a prioritization scheme for addingor removing one of a set of network connected devices in a localnetwork. The time-delay can take many forms, for example, the time-delaymay be based on a difference in time between when a network device wasadded or removed to the local network and when the prioritization schemewas applied to the local network. An advantage of a time-delay would beto prevent the applied prioritization scheme from changing for atransitory device, such as a guest mobile device in a local network.

A time-delay could also be variable based on the device type or devicepriority values of an added device to the local network. For example, ifa glucose monitor is added to a local network, the time-delay would bemuch shorter for adjusting or updating the prioritization scheme than ifa coffee maker is added to the same local network, because of thedifference in critical functionality of the two devices.

Furthermore, a device prioritization model 130 may also have anadjustable sensitivity to retraining. A threshold for retraining couldprevent retraining the prioritization model based on exceptional cases.Exceptional cases may include but are not limited to: (a) errant ormalfunctioning devices in local networks, (b) local networks withunusual bandwidth allocation demands, (c) local networks with unusualsets of devices or device traffic, or (d) a combination thereof. Forexample, for a local network including a security system and a second,redundant security system, may produce erroneous or unusual datatraffic. Based on an adjustable sensitivity to the model, it may not befavorable for the automated network traffic prioritization system 120 tocollect data from the two, redundant security systems in the localnetwork.

While the examples above are described in a model that is learned overmany networks, the system can be implemented on a smaller scale and in alocal network. For example, in FIG. 1, each network linking device 110may implement its own respective traffic data collector and modeltrainer, and may learn a model 130 based on the network traffic anddevices observed in its own respective network 104.

Additional Implementation Details

FIG. 5 is block diagram of an example computer system 500 that can beused to perform operations described above. The system 500 includes aprocessor 510, a memory 520, a storage device 530, and an input/output540. Each of the components 510, 520, 530, and 540 can beinterconnected, for example, using a system bus 550. The processor 510is capable of processing instructions for execution within the system500. In one implementation, the processor 510 is a single-threadedprocessor. In another implementation, the processor 510 is amulti-threaded processor. The processor 510 is capable of processinginstructions stored in the memory 520 or on the storage device 530.

The memory 520 stores information within the system 500. In oneimplementation, the memory 520 is a computer-readable medium. In oneimplementation, the memory 520 is a volatile memory unit. In anotherimplementation, the memory 520 is a non-volatile memory unit.

The storage device 530 is capable of providing mass storage for thesystem 400. In one implementation, the storage device 530 is acomputer-readable medium. In various different implementations, thestorage device 530 can include, for example, a hard disk device, anoptical disk device, a storage device that is shared over a network bymultiple computing devices (e.g., a cloud storage device), or some otherlarge capacity storage device.

The input/output device 540 provides input/output operations for thesystem 400. In one implementation, the input/output device 540 caninclude one or more of a network interface device, e.g., an Ethernetcard, a serial communication device, e.g., and RS-232 port, and/or awireless interface device, e.g., and 802.11 card. In anotherimplementation, the input/output device can include driver devicesconfigured to receive input data and send output data to otherinput/output devices, e.g., keyboard, printer and display devices 560.Other implementations, however, can also be used, such as mobilecomputing devices, mobile communication devices, set-top box televisionclient devices, etc.

Although an example processing system has been described in FIG. 5,implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in other types ofdigital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, orhardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification andtheir structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them.

In situations in which the systems discussed here collect personalinformation about users, or may make use of personal information, theusers may be provided with an opportunity to control whetherapplications or features collect user information (e.g., informationabout a user's social network, social actions or activities, profession,a user's preferences, or a user's current location), or to controlwhether and/or how to receive content that may be more relevant to theuser. In addition, certain data may be treated in one or more waysbefore it is stored or used, so that personally identifiable informationis removed. For example, a user's identity may be treated so that nopersonally identifiable information can be determined for the user, or auser's geographic location may be generalized where location informationis obtained (such as to a city, ZIP code, or state level), so that aparticular location of a user cannot be determined. Thus, the user mayhave control over how information is collected about the user and usedby a content server.

Embodiments of the subject matter and the operations described in thisspecification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or incomputer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structuresdisclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or incombinations of one or more of them. Embodiments of the subject matterdescribed in this specification can be implemented as one or morecomputer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer programinstructions, encoded on computer storage medium for execution by, or tocontrol the operation of, data processing apparatus.

A computer storage medium can be, or be included in, a computer-readablestorage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random orserial access memory array or device, or a combination of one or more ofthem. Moreover, while a computer storage medium is not a propagatedsignal, a computer storage medium can be a source or destination ofcomputer program instructions encoded in an artificially-generatedpropagated signal. The computer storage medium can also be, or beincluded in, one or more separate physical components or media (e.g.,multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices).

The operations described in this specification can be implemented asoperations performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored onone or more computer-readable storage devices or received from othersources.

The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all kinds of apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multipleones, or combinations, of the foregoing. The apparatus can includespecial purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gatearray) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Theapparatus can also include, in addition to hardware, code that createsan execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g.,code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtimeenvironment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them.The apparatus and execution environment can realize various differentcomputing model infrastructures, such as web services, distributedcomputing and grid computing infrastructures.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code) can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative orprocedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as astand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, orother unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computerprogram may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. Aprogram can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programsor data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup languagedocument), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or inmultiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployedto be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are locatedat one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by acommunication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform actions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., a FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing actions in accordance with instructions andone or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally,a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive datafrom or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices forstoring data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks.However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer canbe embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console,a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device(e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), to name just a few.Devices suitable for storing computer program instructions and datainclude all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM,EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal harddisks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROMdisks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquidcrystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and akeyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by whichthe user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices canbe used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example,feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input fromthe user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user bysending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is usedby the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on auser's user device in response to requests received from the webbrowser.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component,e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g.,an application server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., auser computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser throughwhich a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matterdescribed in this specification, or any combination of one or more suchback-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of thesystem can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital datacommunication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communicationnetworks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network(“WAN”), an inter-network (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peernetworks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system can include users and servers. A user and serverare generally remote from each other and typically interact through acommunication network. The relationship of user and server arises byvirtue of computer programs running on the respective computers andhaving a user-server relationship to each other. In some embodiments, aserver transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a user device (e.g., forpurposes of displaying data to and receiving user input from a userinteracting with the user device). Data generated at the user device(e.g., a result of the user interaction) can be received from the userdevice at the server.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of anyfeatures or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions offeatures specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that aredescribed in this specification in the context of separate embodimentscan also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment.Conversely, various features that are described in the context of asingle embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodimentsseparately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, althoughfeatures may be described above as acting in certain combinations andeven initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimedcombination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and theclaimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation ofa subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described.Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In somecases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a differentorder and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processesdepicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require theparticular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirableresults. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallelprocessing may be advantageous.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:receiving a device prioritization scheme for a particular list ofnetwork devices that prioritizes device traffic among the particularlist of network devices, the device prioritization scheme comprising: afirst set of device priority values for the list of network devices thatprioritizes device traffic among the list of network devices for anemergency situation; and a second set of device priority values for thelist of network devices that prioritizes device traffic among the listof network devices for a non-emergency situation, wherein at least onedevice priority value of the first set of device priority values for agiven network device of the list of network devices is different for theemergency situation than the device priority value of the second set ofdevice priority values for the given network device for thenon-emergency situation, and wherein each device priority value is ameasure of a priority for device traffic for each network devicerelative to each other device traffic of other network devices in thelist of network devices; and applying, to the particular local networkincluding the particular list of network devices, the prioritizationscheme for prioritizing device traffic among the particular list ofnetwork devices, the applying comprising: determining if an emergency ornon-emergency situation applies; in response to determining theemergency situation applies, applying the first set of device priorityvalues to the list of network devices: and in response to determiningthe non-emergency situation applies, applying the second set of devicepriority values to the list of network devices.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the device prioritization scheme for the particular list ofnetwork devices that prioritizes device traffic among the particularlist of network devices is generated by a machine-learned deviceprioritization model, wherein the generating comprises: providing, tothe machine-learned device prioritization model, the particular list ofnetwork devices and device types for each network device of the list ofnetwork devices connected to the particular local network.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the first set of device priority values and thesecond set of device priority values for the list of network devices arebased on the device type of each of the network devices.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the device priority value of the first set of devicepriority values for the given network device of the list of networkdevices is higher priority for the emergency situation than the devicepriority value of the second set of device priority values for the givennetwork device for the non-emergency situation.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the prioritization scheme comprises a bandwidthprioritization cap that applies a first traffic priority value for afirst portion of bandwidth used by the network device and a secondtraffic priority value for a second portion of bandwidth used by thenetwork device.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the prioritizationscheme comprises a first bandwidth cap for a first device function and asecond, different bandwidth cap for a second device function for thenetwork device.
 7. A system, comprising: a data processing apparatusthat includes one or more processors; and a computer storage medium indata communication with the data processing apparatus and encodedinstructions defining: a traffic data collector that, when executed bythe data processing apparatus, causes the data processing apparatus toperform operations comprising: receiving a device prioritization schemefor a particular list of network devices that prioritizes device trafficamong the particular list of network devices, the device prioritizationscheme comprising: a first set of device priority values for the list ofnetwork devices that prioritizes device traffic among the list ofnetwork devices for an emergency situation; and a second set of devicepriority values for the list of network devices that prioritizes devicetraffic among the list of network devices for a non-emergency situation,wherein at least one device priority value of the first set of devicepriority values for a given network device of the list of networkdevices is different for the emergency situation than the devicepriority value of the second set of device priority values for the givennetwork device for the non-emergency situation, and wherein each devicepriority value is a measure of a priority for device traffic for eachnetwork device relative to each other device traffic of other networkdevices in the list of network devices; and applying, to the particularlocal network including the particular list of network devices, theprioritization scheme for prioritizing device traffic among theparticular list of network devices, the applying comprising: determiningif an emergency or non-emergency situation applies; in response todetermining the emergency situation applies, applying the first set ofdevice priority values to the list of network devices: and in responseto determining the non-emergency situation applies, applying the secondset of device priority values to the list of network devices.
 8. Thesystem of claim 7, wherein the device prioritization scheme for theparticular list of network devices that prioritizes device traffic amongthe particular list of network devices is generated by a machine-learneddevice prioritization model, wherein the generating comprises:providing, to the machine-learned device prioritization model, theparticular list of network devices and device types for each networkdevice of the list of network devices connected to the particular localnetwork.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first set of devicepriority values and the second set of device priority values for thelist of network devices are based on the device type of each of thenetwork devices.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the device priorityvalue of the first set of device priority values for the given networkdevice of the list of network devices is higher priority for theemergency situation than the device priority value of the second set ofdevice priority values for the given network device for thenon-emergency situation.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein theprioritization scheme comprises a bandwidth prioritization cap thatapplies a first traffic priority value for a first portion of bandwidthused by the network device and a second traffic priority value for asecond portion of bandwidth used by the network device.
 12. The systemof claim 11, wherein the prioritization scheme comprises a firstbandwidth cap for a first device function and a second, differentbandwidth cap for a second device function for the network device.
 13. Anon-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions executableby a data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause thedata processing apparatus to perform operations comprising: receiving adevice prioritization scheme for a particular list of network devicesthat prioritizes device traffic among the particular list of networkdevices, the device prioritization scheme comprising: a first set ofdevice priority values for the list of network devices that prioritizesdevice traffic among the list of network devices for an emergencysituation; and a second set of device priority values for the list ofnetwork devices that prioritizes device traffic among the list ofnetwork devices for a non-emergency situation, wherein at least onedevice priority value of the first set of device priority values for agiven network device of the list of network devices is different for theemergency situation than the device priority value of the second set ofdevice priority values for the given network device for thenon-emergency situation, and wherein each device priority value is ameasure of a priority for device traffic for each network devicerelative to each other device traffic of other network devices in thelist of network devices; and applying, to the particular local networkincluding the particular list of network devices, the prioritizationscheme for prioritizing device traffic among the particular list ofnetwork devices, the applying comprising: determining if an emergency ornon-emergency situation applies; in response to determining theemergency situation applies, applying the first set of device priorityvalues to the list of network devices: and in response to determiningthe non-emergency situation applies, applying the second set of devicepriority values to the list of network devices.
 14. The computer storagemedium of claim 13, wherein the device prioritization scheme for theparticular list of network devices that prioritizes device traffic amongthe particular list of network devices is generated by a machine-learneddevice prioritization model, wherein the generating comprises:providing, to the machine-learned device prioritization model, theparticular list of network devices and device types for each networkdevice of the list of network devices connected to the particular localnetwork.
 15. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the firstset of device priority values and the second set of device priorityvalues for the list of network devices are based on the device type ofeach of the network devices.
 16. The computer storage medium of claim13, wherein the device priority value of the first set of devicepriority values for the given network device of the list of networkdevices is higher priority for the emergency situation than the devicepriority value of the second set of device priority values for the givennetwork device for the non-emergency situation.
 17. The computer storagemedium of claim 13, wherein the prioritization scheme comprises abandwidth prioritization cap that applies a first traffic priority valuefor a first portion of bandwidth used by the network device and a secondtraffic priority value for a second portion of bandwidth used by thenetwork device.
 18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein theprioritization scheme comprises a first bandwidth cap for a first devicefunction and a second, different bandwidth cap for a second devicefunction for the network device.